Equality
by GraceG
Summary: In an world where men are in charge, one brilliant muggle-born witch must fight for her place and try to bring one thing to the wizarding world that she wants more than anything. Equality. Alternative Timeline


**Disclaimer- WHO OWNS HARRY POTTER?! THAT'S RIGHT JK ROWLING DOES!**

**YAYAYAYAY new fanfic! I really love this one, and I really hope you'll read and review. It's set in the very late 1700's. If its not historically accurate, then I'm very, very sorry, but you know I have artistic license, so : ) I have tried to keep it as accurate as possible, but if tried to speak all old, or get every fact right, I think I'd drive myself insane.  
Anyhoo, please read and review!**

Chapter 1

Hermione stared at the letter that lay on her windowsill. The edges of the pages were curling and yellowed from being left out on the side in the sunshine, and some of the ink had faded into brown. She picked it up again, her eyes hungrily searching the page for any sign of a joke or mockery, but there was none.

The letter had arrived a week ago, delivered by a young man. Her parents had called her from the study with her tutor and given it to her. She remembered it well, as the address attached to it was uncannily accurate;

_Lady Hermione Jean Granger,  
3__rd__ bedroom on the second floor,  
Granger manor house,  
The Granger estate,  
Cheshire,  
England_

She remembered excitedly tearing the letter open. No-one ever wrote to her, as she was the daughter of Lord Granger, who owned the largest estate in Cheshire, and who also happened to be the wealthiest Lord as well. Not to mention he was one of the Kings personal friends. Because of all this she'd never had any friends when she was younger, and the only people who ever did write were the stuck up girls who wanted to be a part of her group when she was older, as it was well known that the King's son would most likely be married to her when she was the right age.

But this letter had felt, well, different. The handwriting was unfamiliar and it wasn't written on fancy parchment, or adorned with ribbons and seals, or smothered in perfumes, but it was an average, everyday letter. Nothing special. However, when she held the letter in her shaking hands, her heart had sunk, it must be a trick; a mean joke from one of the boys in the village. She thought this because the letter read:

_THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC  
Minister for Magic: Cornelius Fudge_

_Dear Lady Granger,  
It is with extreme pleasure that I write this letter to inform you of your magical abilities. You are known in the Wizarding community as a witch, a being with magical powers and abilities. As your parents are not of magical descent, a ministry official will be dispatched to discuss with you your place in the magical world, if you wish to pursue it. Please send a reply, through your means of post to the return address attached below, and once we receive your letter, an official will be with you within the hour._

_Yours sincerely,  
Billius Smith  
(Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic)_

Hermione read the letter through one last time. When she had shown it to her parents, they had simply smiled and replied that the choice was hers, although she had overheard her father saying that if it had been a cruel joke, the culprit would pay dearly.

Biting her lip, Hermione looked around the room she had wandered into. It was her father's study. It was a large and grand room, with bookshelves that stretched from the floor to the high vaulted ceilings. The walls were smooth, with gold leaf rails and wondrously rich tapestries that had taken the seamstresses' weeks to sew. She looked to the large, polished mahogany desk. Parchment scattered the surface of the desk, and a quill lay unused next to a silver ink well.

'Oh what the heck!' Hermione muttered to herself, and grabbing the quill she began to write neatly on the page

_Dear Sir,  
I was delighted and intrigued when I received your letter, but I must sadly confess, a little suspicious too. I would be very much grateful if you could dispatch a representative, as soon as possible so as to explain more.  
I look forward to your reply and meeting an official,_

_Yours Sincerely,  
Lady Hermione Jean Granger of the Granger Estate_

She read the letter through a number of times, priding herself on her penmanship, before rolling the parchment up and sealing it with the Granger crest. She ran out of the study and down the large staircases, into the kitchens below. The kitchens were hot and various aromas assaulted her nose,

'Mrs Mason? Mrs Mason!' she called.

A plump lady with red cheeks came from around the corner. She wore a striped navy dress with a starched white apron. She smiled when she saw Hermione and dusted her floury hands on her apron. She enveloped the small girl in a hug, and Hermione breathed in the scent of baking and clothes cleaner.

'Oh Lady Hermione, how many times must I ask you to call me Ellen, and to what do we owe the pleasure?'

Hermione smiled at the older woman,

'Would you be so kind as to ask one of the kitchen boys to take this letter to the post master for me?'

'Certainly my Lady.' She paused and then bellowed 'THOMAS!'

A young boy rounded the corner. He looked about Hermione's age, he was tall with sandy blonde hair and big brown eyes. He grinned wickedly at Mrs Mason, before bobbing his head towards Hermione, grinning at her as well.

'M'Lady. Aunt Ellen, to what do I owe the pleasure of hearing your bellowing voice, to which I cannot live without.'

'Oh hush you scoundrel,' Mrs Mason smiled good naturedly. She turned to Hermione 'This is my nephew Thomas Dawson; his mother asked if I could get him a position here. Thomas, this is Lady Hermione.'

'Hello Thomas.' She smiled shyly

'Hi! Again Auntie, what do you want?'

'Take this message to the Postmaster for our Lady, and you make sure he gets it._ Do you hear me young man? _No stopping off to talk to that pest of a best friend of yours.'

Thomas nodded, laughing

'Calm down Auntie, he'll get it! See you around Hermione!'

He laughed and ran out of the kitchens, grabbing his flat cap on the way out. Mrs Mason shook her head after him

'That boy will be the death of me.'

Hermione laughed and waved back at Mrs Mason as she headed up the stairs

'Thank you Mrs Mason and I'll see you again sometime!'

'You're always welcome pet.' She smiled

* * *

As Hermione settled down between the sheets that night, she thought over what she had done. Should she have told her parents that she had written to the Ministry? They had said that it was her choice, but she wondered if they actually approved, or whether they were just humouring her. She sighed and shivered as the cold sheets touched her bare legs. She could feel the goose bumps that were already forming.

CRACK.

Hermione froze. She lay stock still in her bed, not daring to breath, let alone move. She could have sworn that something had just hit her window. She pulled the sheets up and over her nose, leaving only her eyes and the top of her head peeking out.

CRACK.

There it was again. She turned towards the window. There was something hitting her window, but what was it? Her breathing was heavy now and her eyes wide and frightened. Should she run for her father or should she stick it out and brave it. She remembered a boy teasing her in the village the other day for being a little coward. Well, she wasn't. Swallowing nervously, she pulled back the sheets and swung her legs over the bed, slipping her feet into her slippers. She took the candle off her bedside table and nervously, and very slowly, made her way over to the curtained windows.

The curtains were a heavy material and she could see no light through them, and so she couldn't make out any possible silhouettes. She let the edge of the silky material run through her fingers, before taking a deep breath and grasping the edge of the curtains. Suddenly she yanked them back and peered through the large window.

There was nobody there. Smiling, Hermione breathed a deep sigh of relief. She noticed that her body was hot and sticky with a nervous sweat, so she opened the window, to let in some of the cool summer breeze. The moment the window was open, the relief was instantaneous. She could feel her skin cooling and her curly brown hair fluttered in the breeze. She hitched up her long nightdress and clambered onto the window seat, sticking her whole head out of the window. She smiled into the night air and surveyed the rose gardens below. The garden looked beautiful in the moonlight and the air had left her feeling refreshed. She could hear the rustling of the ivy on the walls below her, and in the very far distance she could almost make ou-

'Bloody hell Granger, stop daydreaming and let me in would you?!'

Hermione screamed, and stumbled backwards, dropping the candle on the floor and throwing her hands over her mouth. A pair of hands suddenly appeared on the window ledge and gripped it tightly, so tight that the knuckles turned white. There was the scuffling of shoes on brick, before a head appeared above the ledge, and then the person vaulted into her room.

'Good Lord that was difficult,' the boy said, dusting off his hands 'Hell- OW! What the heck was that for?'

In the boys distraction, Hermione had bent to the floor and picked up the candle holder and then thrown it at the boys head. He now stared at her angrily,

'Again, I ask, what the heck was that for?'

For some reason this comment made Hermione really very angry. She placed her hands on her hips and fixed the boy with a pointed glare.

'HOW-DARE-YOU!' she shrieked 'You dare scare me like that, climb up to my window, break in and then demand to know why I defended myself? Well for starters the whole reason I just gave and then the fact that I am the daughter of the Lord of this estate and you are a BOY in my bedroom at the dead of night!'

'Oh yeah,' the boy shrugged, rubbing the back of his head ' I forgot about that, sorry. We already met remember? I'm Thomas, Ellen Mason's nephew.'

Hermione shrugged, and simply tapped her foot to indicate her annoyance. Thomas sighed and rubbed his temples,

'Maybe I didn't explain myself all that well.' He sighed 'I'm here about the letter.'

'YOU LOST IT?' Hermione shrieked 'Or-or- YOU READ IT!'

Thomas winced at her loud voice,

'Sheesh keep it down, I haven't lost it or read it-'

At the end of the hallway, a door slammed. She could hear the familiar shuffle of feet on the carpet and froze

'Under-the-bed!' she hissed as she flung herself back into bed. She could hear Thomas scrabble on the floor and slide under the bed, and just as her father opened the door, Hermione flicked the cover over the gap between the floor and the bed.

'Papa!' she cried

'Princess? I heard shouting, are you okay?'

Her father hurried over to her bed and sat down beside her, pulling her in for a warm hug. She buried her face in the crook of his elbow and pretended to sob into his nightshirt.

'Oh papa, it was horrible I had the most horrendous nightmare! Someone broke into the house and I was so frightened, but then I woke up and I was so relieved- and- and.'

She broke off and began a fresh round of sobs, as her father patted her back and murmured soothingly.

'There, there princess.' He murmured 'There's no-one here! My, you seem really shaken! Should I have Mr Johnson make up a bed for me in here and I could keep you company?'

'NO!' Hermione shouted, before she realised what she had said. She could feel her father frown and quickly, she backtracked 'I- I mean. No thank you. If I am to grow up, I must learn to deal with these things myself, hadn't I?'

Her father pulled away from her and looked her in the eyes. She had his eyes, big wide chocolate brown ones, and he smiled,

'Yes princess, but don't grow up too quickly and leave your old papa behind? Okay?'

She smiled and nodded, and he kissed the top of her head. She snuggled back down into her bed, and he pulled the sheets tight around her. He walked to the door and looked back at

'Goodnight princess, sleep well.'

'Goodnight papa.'

The door shut softly behind him, and once she had heard the door at the end of the hall shut softly, a voice sounded from underneath the bed

'Goodnight papa!' he mimicked

'Oh shut up!' Hermione growled, as Thomas wriggled out from under the bed. 'Now unless you want me to scream as loud as I can for my father, you'd best explain yourself, and quickly.'

'You're much feistier than you appear you know? And that acting, brilliant. Couldn't have done better myself.' He laughed and then he gestured to the bed, 'May I?'

Hermione gasped at his rudeness, but he simply rolled his eyes

'I wouldn't be sharing the bed with you!' he sighed 'Simply sitting on the end of it. It's awfully difficult to talk to you from down here, it's a rather big bed. Much bigger than ours back home.'

Hermione frowned at this, before nodding. Eagerly, Thomas scrambled up onto her bed and sighed contently as he settled back against the goose feather pillows.

'Now,' he grinned 'Where to begin?'

* * *

'For starters,' Hermione grumbled, 'You could tell me why you read my letter!'

'I didn't read it!' he exclaimed 'Honest! I just recognised the address!'

'What do you mean you recognised the address? Unless- you sent it! You set me up!'

'NO! Why would I do that? That's a nasty muggle trick, I would never upset you like that!'

'A-a what? What's a muggle?'

'Your parents are muggles. It means-'

'Don't insult my parents like that!'

'It's not an insult!' he sighed 'It's a non-magical person, meaning they aren't witches and wizards like you or me!'

'Wait- You're a wizard? It's real?! Or are you just doing this as a joke as well?'

'I thought I'd mentioned that?'

Hermione shook her head and Thomas grinned, he stretched out his hand in front of him,

'You want proof then?'

She nodded. Thomas smiled and then crawled over her bed and picked up her rose pendant that lay on her bedside table. It was a beautiful gift, left to her by the late Lord Granger, her grandpapa. It had been her great-great grandmothers, given to her by her husband and then passed on through each Granger generation. It was made of a red glass and had a light dusting of gold on the rim of each petal. It hung on a long silver chain, but what Hermione loved most about it, was that if she wore it long enough, a special ink would appear on the flat underside of the rose, bearing the message,  
_For my own darling Rose,  
_It was one of Hermione's most treasure possessions, and it made her very nervous to see it held in the palm of Thomas Mason's hand.

'Please-please be careful.'

'Oh don't worry!' He grinned.

He closed his fingers around the rose, and concentrated for a minute. When he opened them again, Hermione's mouth fell open. It was no longer her rose on the end of the chain, but a tiny red, but very real, rose. She reached out and lightly touched the petals. They were soft and fleshy, just like the roses in the grounds. As she watched, a shiny ice seemed to spread over the rose, and she drew back her hand in alarm. Seconds later, her glass pendant was there again.

'But- but- how did you do that!' she whispered. Thomas grinned at her

'Magic!'

Once she was settled again, Thomas began to talk to her.

'My family is magic, my Dad was a wizard and my mums a muggle, I'm a half blood. My 3 sisters and my other brother are also witches and wizards. Noah, whose 9, almost blew up the kitchen last week, so mum presumed he's got some magic in him. Eloise and Emily are twins and they're 15. My oldest sister, Ruth, she's 21 now and she's getting married at Christmas. I'm the second youngest, I've already been at Hogwarts for a year, although that doesn't really matter much to you.'

'Oh.' Hermione said 'What's Hogwarts?'

'It's only the best school in the whole world!' Thomas grinned 'It's brilliant! It's this huge old castle where you go to learn magic and spells. It's like a boarding school, so you're there most of the year round, except a break for Christmas, Easter and then Summer that is. There are loads of secret passageways, the great hall and the forbidden forest. In first year, you get sorted into houses. There are four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. I'm a Gryffindor, the only one out of the Dawsons so far!' He smiled proudly at her, as if he expected her to be impressed

'Oh, which houses were your sisters in then?'

Thomas laughed at her and shook his head

'No, the Dawson boys, all my cousins, I have loads of Dawson cousins; most of them were all in Hufflepuff.'

'Yeah, but which houses were your sisters in? And why doesn't it concern me?'

Thomas laughed again, before he looked at her,

'Wait, you're serious? Girls don't go to Hogwarts! They attend a training school a couple of times a week once they've turned 14 to learn basic spells and housekeeping spells for cooking and cleaning! They don't need to know all the other magic!'

He laughed again, but broke off abruptly. He looked around at Hermione, and she could see the slight hint of fear in eyes. She was furious. Why weren't girls allowed to attend Hogwarts, it wasn't fair! She knew there wasn't much equality in the- what had Thomas called it- muggle world, but she had thought the Wizarding world might have been different.

'Surely you must have realised that?' Thomas asked 'Girls don't attend school in the muggle world do they?'

'But this is completely different!' Hermione exclaimed 'Its-its magic! There will be so many interesting things to learn, and how will I get a role in the Wizarding world without knowing anything?'

Thomas suddenly looked very interest in his feet

'Wait, tell me that women in the Wizarding world are allowed jobs?'

'They usually stay home and look after the children and the house, and if you're rich like you are, they attend social parties and charities.'

'THIS ISN'T FAIR!' she exclaimed, 'THIS WHOLE NEW WORLD AND I'M EXPECTED TO SIT BACK AND DO NOTHING? WHY DID THEY BOTHER WRITING TO ME?'

'To inform you!' Thomas said 'Your powers get stronger when you turn 12, and that's when Hogwarts begins. It's usually when you get a wand and boys begin to be trained up. They've informed you so they can teach you how to control yourself until your basic training starts and so the muggles don't lock you up for being insane!'

Hermione was about to retort, when she realised how pointless it would be. What was the point in shouting her troubles at a 12 year old boy who couldn't do a thing about it. She let her shoulders fall and she hung her head

'I'm sorry,' she whispered 'It's just-it's just so unfair!'

'I know.' He replied. She looked up at him and he smiled kindly at her 'you'd get on well with Eloise, she didn't take the whole girls thing too well either. She's turning into a bit of a nightmare for her home spells teacher. Dad's worried he'll never find her a decent husband, says she'll scare 'em all off.' He laughed again 'Although El said that she didn't care and she could manage perfectly fine by herself, wouldn't doubt her either.'

'She sounds great.' Hermione laughed

'Yeah she is, complete opposite of her twin though. Em's a right stuck up cow. Thinks she God's gift just because she got William Shafiq to look twice at her during the last Hogwarts visit; she's already planning the wedding,' he rolled his eyes and then clambered off the bed 'Let me know when you hear from the ministry, okay? I'll see about taking you through to Diagon Alley. I'll know it a lot better than anyone they send. If they ask, say you were talking to one of the Dawson boys, they'll understand.'

Hermione nodded and watched him as he strode toward the window, as he hooked one leg out and perched on the ledge, he turned back to her.

'I am really very sorry.' He said 'If there was anything I could do…'

'I know.' Hermione smiled 'Thank you.'

'Cheerio then!'

He grinned at her- and then leapt from the window.

Hermione screamed, and ran to the window looking for the broken body below, but there was nobody there. She looked around confused, when she heard an all too familiar laugh. Squinting, she peered to the bottom of the garden and she could just make out a figure bouncing around, waving. She laughed and waved back. She carefully closed the window and as she slid back into bed, she smiled shyly to herself; maybe she did have a friend here after all.

* * *

She was woken early next morning by a bright shaft of sunlight shining through the crack in her curtains and an oddly loud tapping noise. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and tried to think what the sound could be, when she remembered last night. Thomas! She ran to the window, flinging the curtains open, thinking that he might be back. But instead of a sandy haired boy, instead there was a large brown owl, who seemed to be staring rather impatiently at her with large amber eyes. She opened the window and the owl fluttered in. It landed on her bed head and then stuck out its leg. Hermione stood still at the window, her mouth hanging open. An Owl? At this time in the morning? She was broken from her stupor when the owl hooted impatiently at her.

'Sorry, sorry!' she exclaimed and hurried over.

There was a letter attached to the owl's leg, and with fumbling fingers, she undid the knot and the owl took off, sending a breeze through her hair. Nervously, she opened the letter and hungrily took in all the words on the page, absorbed each of the letters one by one.

Hermione looked up and with a huge grin that stretched from ear to ear, she burst out of her room. She tore down the hallway and flung open the door to her parents room.

'Mama, Papa! Wake up! Look! Look what came! It's real, it's really real! It came by an owl and everything!'

Her parents sat up groggily and looked at Hermione confusedly,

'Hermione darling,' her mother said 'What are you talking about?'

'The letter! The letter that came! I wrote back yesterday and they replied, they're coming in an hour, hurry up and get dressed! We have to be ready'

She laughed gleefully and tore out of the room and back down the hallway. She skipped down the stairs, taking them two at a time and ran to the kitchens.

'Mrs Mason! Mrs Mason! Where's Thomas?'

Mrs Mason peered at her

'Thomas? He's over by the sink, peeling the potatoes, why?'

But Hermione didn't hear the end of the sentence because she had run off again, dodging round the kitchen staff and ducking under tables.

'Thomas!' she shouted as she skidded to a halt behind him. He winced and turned round

'What?!' he shouted back smiling

'They wrote! They actually wrote back! They're coming here! In an hour!' she squealed and stomped her feet excitedly. He laughed at her giddiness.

'So are you going to meet them in your nightdress?' he laughed

'What do you mean- OH NO!' she shrieked and ran off again, dashing out of the kitchen Thomas laughing behind her.

'TELL ME HOW IT WENT!' she could hear him bellow

'SURE!' she shouted back. She laughed as she dashed past Mr Johnson who leapt out of the way. Normally she would be more dignified, but she didn't care. She had an hour to get ready!

The wizards were coming!

**So what did you think? Please leave a review, I'd love you forever and ever! Also in the next chapter, Hermione talks to the ministry of magic official and I was wondering if you have any questions you think she'll ask? If so, stick 'em in a review and I'll try and put them in! What did you think of Thomas? Personally I really like him!  
REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


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